Washington's First Solar Farm Powers Up Near Connell

Construction crews are installing 10 megawatts worth of solar panels on 140 acres near Connell, Washington, marking a clean energy milestone for Franklin County. The Palouse Junction Solar project will start generating electricity in early 2027, helping power local homes right when air conditioners work overtime during hot summer months.

OneEnergy, a Washington-based renewable energy company, is building the facility and will sell the power to Franklin Public Utility District. The timing couldn't be better since solar production peaks exactly when the area needs it most: during irrigation season and summer cooling demands.

The project sits on land that's not currently farmed and has no water rights, meaning no crops are being displaced for solar panels. Instead, the site will serve a dual purpose with sheep grazing around and beneath the solar arrays, creating a sustainable partnership between agriculture and clean energy.

Franklin PUD expects the solar farm to generate an average of 2.5 megawatts, enough to power around 2,000 homes. That's a significant boost as Washington state pushes toward its 2030 requirement that all electricity sold must be greenhouse-gas neutral.

The Ripple Effect

This project shows how communities can meet climate goals without choosing between energy and agriculture. By selecting uncultivated land close to existing power infrastructure, OneEnergy preserved prime development space near Highway 395 for future opportunities.

The dual-use approach with sheep grazing demonstrates that solar farms don't have to be single-purpose industrial zones. A portion of the land with natural shrub steppe habitat will remain completely undisturbed, protecting local ecosystems while generating clean power.

Other Washington communities are already following Franklin County's lead. OneEnergy has an 80-megawatt solar facility near Moxee and is seeking approval for a 60-megawatt project in Benton County, creating a growing network of renewable energy across rural Washington.

Small towns across America are watching projects like this one, proving that clean energy infrastructure can strengthen rural economies and meet local needs without compromising the landscape that defines these communities.